"once our eyes are opened, we can't pretend we don't know what to do. God, who weighs our hearts and keeps our souls, knows that we know, and holds us responsible to act."

Proverbs 24:12

Saturday, May 2, 2015

Update!!!--Where we have been and Where we are going!!

Well I know it has been awhile since my last post. I have spent the last year and a half really focusing being a wife, mom, and disciple. God has really opened my eyes to so many things since my last post. When I think that He can not open my eyes wider, He does. I have learned that He is faithful to lead us through whatever He puts in front of us. I continue to look to Him for guidance even when I do not understand. Let me go back in time and catch you up.

Over a year ago, God was really showing Luther and I a love for orphan prevention and loving on missionary families. We were able to travel together to Ethiopia in June 2014 with our daughter Grace (she turned 13 while we were in country). God confirmed our love for the people, country, loving missionary families, etc. We really felt God opening the door to us moving to Ethiopia. We were not clear about when, how, etc. but we began walking through the doors He placed in front of us. We became SIM missionaries in November 2014 and began to make the preparations to move to Ethiopia. It can be a long process with training, work visas, biblical and cross cultural training, among other things. So we began, walking through the doors God was opening in our lives. Trusting that He would show us what we should do. My husband says often "We will walk through the doors God opens and not kick down the doors He closes." I love this when it is another person's life, but when it is yours it is much more difficult.

This leads me to where we are today. About a month or two ago, we felt God opening doors and closing doors for our family. He was not saying that Ethiopia missionary work was not in the plan, but He was showing us that it was not going to be in the immediate future, like we thought. He did this in several ways and one was by giving us an opportunity to grow our family. Luther and I have had our eyes opened to the number of children that are adopted into families and then, as no fault of their own, need a new family. Just like biological parents decide they can not parent a child, some adoptive parents make the same choice. I am not hear to judge these parents but to shed light on the need for these children. This is a very difficult thing for them to experience. These children have already experienced loss and trauma. Now, they are experiencing it again.

So today, I am hear to tell you that our family will be growing. We are adopting a beautiful girl (10) and boy (8). We are so glad God has given us a chance to love them and parent them. We have been able to talk with them. They are absolutely beautiful and I am so in love with them. Life is hard and messy. Being a Christ follower doesn't mean that we get an easy road. Just the opposite. I will not be sharing their story because it is theirs to share, but know that we all are ready to show them that they are loved and chosen. It does not replace their loss, trauma, pain, disappointment, and fear. But as I have seen in all of my children time builds trust, security, and love. This also means that God is faithful to walk with us every step of the way.

PRAY!! Please lift up our family to our Heavenly Father. We are praying as a family---that God would connect our hearts together. The transition will be challenging. Adoption is so beautiful and so hard. It only happens because of tragedy but God is a redeemer. So just continue to pray for us. We are in the process of preparing our home, lives, and hearts. This is a domestic adoption so it will happen faster. We expect to bring them home in the next week or two. We thank you for lifting us up to our Heavenly Father!!

Welome to our blog!

We are so excited to share the journey God is taking our family on. God placed Esther and Emma on our hearts before we ever saw their faces. He directed our path to them and continues to weave our family together. We are a family of 6 looking to God to lay out our journey. It is one that continues to evolve.

11/21/11-ordered necklaces from organization that helps women in Uganda 11/22-sent in our agency application to All God's Children International (AGCI)

11/24/11-received 1st donation to help bring our child home to us

11/25/11-necklaces made by women in Uganda arrived & sold 1st necklace

12/5/11-AGCI called & we have been approved for Ethiopia and they will officially be our agency

12/7/11-we got AGCI orientation packet in the mail

12/12/11-first meeting with social worker for our home study. 12/20/11-mailed off our fingerprints to the FBI &our notarized paperwork to AGCI. 12/29/11-we did our final home study visit with our social worker (Kelly), & we did our adoption family pictures with Jenn Millard1/6/12-we ate at an Ethiopian restaurant in Nashville (Gojo)1/23/12-Got the notarized copies of our home study1/24/12-sent USCIS immigration request to the office of homeland security2/6/12-we got our fingerprint appointments in the mail today2/7/12- fingerprints done, dossier sent FedEx to AGCI2/9/12-found out they need a few more family pics and a couple of minor things in our Eyes Wide Open workbook before we can be completed with our dossier2/14/12-got the call at 4:28 today- we are officially on the girl (133) and sibling (50) waiting list!!! God is

so faithfull!!!!2/14/12-Connect Hearts Dinner 6-9 pm2/16/12-phone call with Toni @ AGCI concerning the waiting list information2/23/12-we got our Favorable Determination Letter in the mail2/24/12-we mailed a notorized photocopy of our Favorable Determination Letter to AGCI2/27/12-AGCI received our FDL-this is our last piece of paperwork until our referral2/29/12-got our new #'s Girls List 128 & Sibling List 493/9/12--Referral call! 2 beautiful girls ages 8 & 43/13/12-we finished filling out all of the referral paperwork for ACGI & put it in FedEx3/19/12-Next Steps call with Toni our caseworker @ AGCI --we went to an adoption gathering with other Ethiopian adoptive families ( over 100 people were there)3/20/12-we had out call with Emily our Famiky Education Coordinator3/23/12-we got our updated FDL from USCIS that approves us to bring our 2 girls into the United States3/26/12-shots at the travel clinic for Ethiopia

3/28/12- @ 11:12 am we got the call that we have a court date--April 25th!!!3/29/12-call about the passing of the girls birth mother4/6/12-uncles testifies in Ethiopian court.

4/21/12-we get on a plane heading to Ethiopia to see our girls

4/23/12-We meet our girls for the first time & a cultural dinner in Ethiopia

4/24/12-great day with our girls & shopping for traditional clothing

4/25/12-we go to the Ethiopian court to officially adopt our girls. It is official!! We are the parents of Esther K and Emma B.

4/26/12-last day in Ethiopia and at Hannah's Hope see our girls.

5/29/12-case submitted to the US Embassy in Ethiopia .

6/12/12-uncle testifies at the Embassy.

6/15/12-Luther and Ronda get on a plane to Ethiopia to get Esther and Emma forever.

6/17/12- Gotcha Day!! (Father's Day 2012)

6/21/12- We land in the US with Esther and Emma.

6/22/12-Esther and Emma meet Gabrielle and Grace for the first time (in person).

9/4/12-Readoption Day for Esther and Emma (name changes)

Timeline-2nd Adoption

*January 2014--God opened our eyes to adding to our family. *February 2014--He closed the doors to adopting right now but not to eventually adopting again.*March 2015--God showed us that we needed to pursue adopting again right now. We started the journey to add to our family.*April 14--We found our about Mary and Nate. Our hearts were open and we started updating our home study.*April 20--We received the paperwork on Mary and Nate.*April 22--We said yes to the referral of Mary and Nate.*April 24--Had an in home visit from our social worker and all paperwork was complete for our update.*April 30--We got to Skype with Mary and Nate for the first time. It was Mary's birthday.*May 2--Our home study was complete.*May 4-- Our lawyer would file with the court.